Self-discharging tray



H. LEE.

SELF DISCHARGING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 1920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i lea H. LEE.

SELF DISCHARGING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED APR-9. 1920.

1,384,667, Patented July 12, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY LEE, OF LIVINGSTON, MONTANA.

SELF-DISCHARGING TRAY.

Application filed April 9,

To-allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Livingston, in the county of Park and State of Montana, have invented certain new and; useful Improvements in Self-DischargingTrays; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. p

The object of the invention is to provide a tray suitable for the use of waiters in hotels, restaurants or the like whereby the dishes may be transported to and deposited upon the dining table and subsequentlyengaged and removed from the same without independently or individually handling the dishes, and furthermore to the end that a tray may readily be carried in each hand so that if desired two tables may be served on one trip, the deposit of the dishes carried by each tray being effected in one operation, and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction, combination and arrangement of parts of which a typical embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the tray. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the operating mechanism on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the plane indicatedby the line 4:4 of Fig. 2. The apparatus consists essentially of a main supporting frame having the marginal bars 10 and longitudinal and transversed 1ntersecting filler bars 11 and 12 suitably secured together and to the marginal bars at the points of intersection to insure the necessary rigidity, and thereby forming within the space bounded by the marginal bars a plurality of divisional spaces OI'llllliiS of which any desired number may be provided, 'a plurality of dish or receptacle engaging clamps located in said divisional spaces r units of the main frame and formed by intersecting longitudinal Y and transverse rods 13 :and 14 arranged in longitudinal and transverse pairs; and operating mechanism connected with said rods whereby the membersof each pair may be moved toward and from each other in a direction at right angles to that of the intersecting pair of rods.

The portions of the marginal bars at the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 372,520.

wardly projecting feet or rests 15 to the end that when, the apparatus is standing upon a table or fiat surface the terminal eyes 16 of the movable rods forming the clamping members and which are slidably mounted upon said marginal and filler bars at the point of intersection therewith may move freely and without frictional contact with said supporting surface. The clamping rods are preferably flat as indicated as affording greater stiffness and strength without unduly increasing the weight of the structure.

The portions of the clamping rods which form the dish engaging jaws as indicated at 13 and 14? may be outwardly curved or inwardly conc'aved as indicated or may be provided with any other suitable form to present jaws which will effectively engage and hold a plate or dish of the desired size. Ob-

viously in this particular the mechanism is The corresponding longitudinal clamping lugs or in other words those longitudinal clamping rods which are arranged at the corresponding sides of the dish receiving spaces are connected for siniultaneousmovement by transverse tie rods 19, and similarly thecorresponding transverse clamping rods are connected for simultaneous movement in a common direction by the longitudinal tie rods 20, and within the central space or unit of the main or supporting frame which for convenience is occupied by the operating mechanism, connection 1s made with the longitudinal and transverse clamping rods which intersect said space or units, so that when the transverse clamping rods thereof are drawn toward each other and correspondingly the longitudinal clamping rods are drawn toward each other, the dish receiving spaces throughout the structure will and at any other suitbe contracted to engage dishes located resists of a, plunger 21 provided at its upper suitably spaced and held in rigid relation by receiving spaces throughout the structure, to release such dishes as may have been engaged by the clamplng aws.

The mechanism employed for operating these rods as lllustrated 1n the drawmg conend with a handle or grip 22cand mounted for sliding movement in guides 23 and 24:,

stays, orbraces 25 which may as shown extend from the angles of the central space oreunit of the supporting frame, extensions 7 26 of said stay rods being carried downwardvthrough said guides which may as indicated be in the form of rings or spiders to form guides upon which is mounted a disl-t or head 27 connected by links 28 with theinner arms of bellxcrank levers 29 of which the outer arms are in turn connected by links 30 with said longitudinal. and trans verse clamping rods. are mounted upon afulcrum' ring 31'sup ported by the diagonal braces or stay rods 7 and the lower extremities of the extensions 26 of said stay rods, below the plane of the head or disk 2'7 may be carried radilly to form transverse braces attached to the body portions of the stay rods. Obviously this arrangement of bracing-and support ing elements may be varied, with due regard to the primary purpose of affording a sub stantial support for the plunger and the devices connected therewith, and such a connection between the same and the main or with webs 34 operating in notches 35 in the upper guide disk 23, and when the plunger has been depressed, in opposition to the ten-- sion of the spring 33 to open the clamp of the tray, the turning of the gripor handle and hence of the plungerrod will serve to move said ribs out of .alinement with the notches and lock the plunger in a depressed position and hence the clamping rods in their separated relation. Hence when a load of dishes has been transported to the din- Jing table and the apparatus has been deposited thereon, it is simply necessary for the operator to depress the plunger and turn it slightly whereupon the tray may be lifted freely from the dishes which will belei't standing in proper position upon'the table. Similarly when it is desired to engage the dishesto remove them from the table, the

The bell crank levers plunger may be locked in its depressed position with the clamps opened, and after the apparatus has been positioned with the various clamps in engaging relation with the dishes, the plunger may be released to permit the upward movement thereof andhence the closing of the clamps to lock the dishes in place in the tray. The latter may then be released by means of the grip or handle and removed to the kitchen or the side table. It will be noted that the space above the plane of the body or the tray, except of' course'that portion occupied by the operat ing mechanism, is entirely open and unobstructed, so that plates or similar dishes ina stack may be carried by a single clamp ing unit, and therefore provision is made for great economy in the handling of'd-ishes both in transporting the same to and from the point of use and in releasing and en gaging the same as the conditions may quire.

What is claimed is-:

1. A serving tray having a main or supporting frame, pairs of clamping rods arranged in intersecting relation, the members; of each pair being movable towardand from 7 each other in a direction at right angles to" that of the intersecting pair, andmeans for actuating said clamping rods.

2. A serving tray having a-mai-n or supporting frame, longitudinal and transverse clamping rods arranged in pairs, the members of each air being movable toward and from eacli other in a direction at right angles to the members of the intersecting pair, and the corresponding members of different pairs being connected in seriesfor simultaneous movement in acommon direction, and operating means for communicat ing' simultaneous movementto the several sets of clamping rods forefl'ecting mutual opening and closing movement of thecoopcrating portions of said longitudinal-and transverse pairs. ,7 I V 3. A serving trayhaving a main or' supporting frame, longitudinal and transverse.

intersecting pairs of clamping rods connected in series for mutual dish engaging and releasing movement, guiding means supported by and connectedwith the said main orsupporting 'frame, "a plunger mounted in said guiding means and having a terminal tray carrying grip 0r handle,fand' connections between said plunger and the clampingrods. V p f r 4. A serving tray having a main or supportingframe, longitudinal and transverse intersecting-pairs of clamping rods connected in series for mutual dish engaging and V releasing movement, guiding means supported by and connected with the said main or supporting frame, a plunger mounted in said guiding means and having .a; terminal tray "carrying grip or handle, connections between said plunger and the clamping rods, said rods being moved into their dish engaging relation by an upward movement of said plunger rod.

5. A serving tray having a main or supporting frame, longitudinal and transverse intersecting pairs of clamping rods connected in series for mutual dish engaging and releasing movement, guiding means supported by and connected with the said main or supporting frame, a plunger mounted in said guards and having a terminal tray carrying grip or handle, connections between said plunger and the clamping rods, said rods being moved into their dish engaging relation by an upward movement of said plunger rod, and means for rocking the plunger in a position to maintain the clamping rods in their dish releasing rela tion.

6. A serving tray having a main or supporting frame, longitudinal and transverse intersecting pairs of clamping rods connected in series for mutual dish engaging and releasing movement, guiding means support ed by and connected with the said main or supporting frame, a plunger mounted in said guards and having a terminal tray carrying grip or handle, connections between said plunger and the clamping rods, said rods being moved into their dish engaging relation by an upward movement of said plunger rod, and means for rocking the plunger in a position to maintain the clamping rods in their dish releasing relation, said plunger being revoluble and having longitudinal guiding webs operating in guide notches and adapted for disalinement therewith to secure the plunger with the clamping rods in their dish releasing relation.

7. A serving tray having a main or supporting frame, longitudinal and transverse intersecting pairs of clamping rods connected in series for mutual dish engaging and releasing movement, guiding means supported by and connected with the said main or supporting frame, a plunger mounted in said guards and having a terminal tray carrying grip or handle, connections between said plunger and the clamping rods, said rods being moved into their dish engaging relation by an upward movement of said plunger rod, and means for rocking the plunger in a position to maintain the clamping rods in their dish releasing relation, said plunger being revoluble and having longitudinal guiding webs operating in guide notches and adapted for disalinement therewith to secure the plunger with the clamping rods in their dish releasing relation, the same consisting of bell crank levers having terminal connections respectively with the adjacent clamping rods and the plunger.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

r HARRY LEE.

Witnesses E. M. CRoWE, G. L. LAUSON. 

